Nick Suarez is a beauty and fashion photographer based out of New York City. Early in his photographic career, he has already developed some pretty impressive skills. It’s that visual competency combined with his high level of photographic literacy that give him an edge with the next generation of photographers.
Can you tell us about yourself and your photographic background?
I am a 22-year-old photographer based out of New York City. I have been shooting seriously for a couple of years and recently graduated from the University of Central Florida with my BA in Photography.
What got you started in photography?
Growing up I was always interested in the arts and music. While I was a sophomore in high school, I got placed in a photography class that I didn’t sign up for and have loved it ever since.
What kind of gear would we find in your bag?
Digitally, I shoot with Nikon, but I also shoot a mix of film and Polaroid cameras.
Do you prefer strobes or natural light?
I prefer natural light but it really depends on what I am shooting.
Where do you find the majority of your inspiration (both inside and outside of photography)?
A direct source of inspiration is hard to pinpoint, but I feel that most of my personal inspiration comes from the experiences I share with my friends and family. On the photography side, although it doesn’t particularly relate to my work, I find myself more inspired by documentary photographers like Bruce Davidson, Diane Arbus, Nan Goldin and Larry Clark.
What is your mental checklist before a shoot?
I ask myself ‘Do I have all of the equipment I need?’ (It obviously depends on the shoot). ‘Is everything working properly?’ And ‘Is everyone on the same page about the shoot?’ Miscommunication can be a big obstacle when dealing with crews of multiple people.
What is your thought process for location scouting? When shooting studio, how do you approach it differently?
While shooting location, I prefer to be shooting right after sunrise or before sunset. With that in mind, I have to figure out if it is possible to use the location at those times or if there are areas to hide in the shade during the middle of the day. I am more partial to shooting studio because most of the variables are in my control.
What is your favorite thing to shoot?
People interest me. I love unique faces, and I especially love eyes.
Can you take us though your workflow from shoot to post (roughly)?
Depending on the situation, I shoot tethered or just transfer the images after the shoot. I take care of my image processing and cataloging in Lightroom and handle retouching in Photoshop.
What do you do differently on a shoot when it's for yourself versus for a job?
While on a job I make sure that all of the client’s demands are met within the time frame. On a personal shoot I have more creative freedom and time to try new things. Obviously when I shoot for myself, I take more risks. Once those risks are proven, I can use them for a client’s shoot.
What do you do on your down time? Whenever I am not shooting or editing I love to hang out with my friends, go biking, explore places I haven’t been, play drums, and some days just relax and do absolutely nothing.
What has been your most memorable moment in your career so far?
Moving to New York City has been the most memorable moment for me.
What is your favorite part of the whole process?
My favorite part has got to be meeting new people in the creative industry on pretty much a weekly basis.
More of Nick's work can be seen on his website and his Tumblr.
NSFW? Really?!
Man... People from the U.S. are so prude.
I was thinking the same myself, what part exactly is considered not safe?
These editors can really never get a break can they? People like you always comment on every little thing. I am sure if this post wasn't marked NSFW people would be pissed that it should be!
Its better to be safe than sorry in my opinion. And next time, don't hassle the editors for doing what they think is right.
Probably the one picture 3rd from the bottom before the gallery. You can almost clearly see a nipple.. Hold your horses. Hide your wifes. Hide your kids!
I doubt many bosses in the world who are expecting an employee to be productive would like to see someone looking at these pictures. Many don't care about the context.
I doubt being productive means spending time surfing the internet for fun.
Sa va fut in NSFW de americani idioti care vedeți un contur de țâță si va ejaculati pe voi labarilor!
Nick Suarez is one of my favorites when it comes to beauty and fashion. Always on the hustle and making sick images. Love his touch on post production, too.
Josh, Dock the hall monitor routine. People are entitled to their opinions.
The fact that you use "y'all" tells me all I need to dismiss your argument.
I've shot the last girl before in Paris, Polish model Ola Zieminska of Elite Paris. Small world :)
Amazing!!! thanks for the post!!!